Accompanied song was cultivated in Italy in the 16th and early 17th centuries, long before the word “cantata” was common terminology. Shortly after the conception of the recitative, the cantata began to combine the monadic style with new forms and the concept of systeme tonal (or the basis for the development of equal temperament) , which began to replace the ancient modes. The cantata had its origins in the same sources as opera and oratorio. The three forms are direct descendants of the madrigals of the sixteenth century. Toward the end of the sixteenth century, it became common practice to use accompanying instruments with all of the voices for the sake of intonation. This custom led to the development of the solo madrigal, in which only one voice sang to the accompaniment of instruments playing the lower portions. At the beginning of the seventeenth century the monodists Caccini, Peri, and Monteverdi replaced the accompanied madrigal with the continuo madrigal, in which the madrigal accompaniment was replaced by an improvisatory chordal accompaniment of a given bass line, also known as basso continuo. From the beginning of the seventeenth century, the monodists wrote madrigals of this type, which were later to be called “cantatas.” The first known use of the word cantata is …show more content…
In fact it was often intended for small gatherings. In a private concert setting it only relied on voice and a single instrument. Furthermore, composers often softened and lightened the settings of the text, especially in recitative sections when designated for chamber performance. Bukofzer states that the restrained bel canto style as found in the cantata, the oratorio, and the opera was “based on the penetrating and sustaining power of the castrato voice,” which may be an indication that the castrato voice was an important performing force in the